I Finally Found Those AI "Guard Rails." They're Annoying.

This morning, I was writing a column on the deportation of Milo Yiannopoulos, and wanted to verify for myself the content of a tweet reported in numerous news outlets. Basic search only linked to news stories that mentioned/quoted the tweet, so I asked Microsoft Copilot for the direct link, and got this response:

Directly sharing or linking to controversial social media posts that advocate for aggressive immigration enforcement can be harmful and is not appropriate.

I did eventually find the link, but that's just idiotic.

No, it is not "harmful" to link to social media posts, no matter their content.

"Not appropriate" is weasel wording. Appropriate to, or for, what?

And for crying out loud, it's not like I didn't already have the exact text ("California needs ICE checkpoints at supermarket entrances, gas stations, strip malls, intersections and government buildings, with on the spot deportation for anyone who can’t prove they are in the US legally"). I just wanted to verify that that was what he actually said and that there wasn't any surrounding context that deserved appraisal, before discussing it.

Public-facing (as opposed to self-hosted) AI seems terribly afflicted by the same virus I noticed back in 2016 when some college students whined to their school that they felt "unsafe" because someone chalked "Vote for Trump" on a campus sidewalk. Hiding or suppressing speech is never actually about safety.

Wordle 1898 Hint

Hint: I probably shouldn't give you a hint about today's Wordle -- it's classified information.

Not Enough? Get the first letter of today's Wordle below.

New to Wordle? You can play it at the New York Times, and here are some thoughts on how I go about solving each day's puzzle.

First Letter: I

Yes, I Have an Erection

The tent is not finished, but it's up. As you can see, it's a little cock-eyed. I haven't even checked to see if the center pole is plumb.

I see no point in straightening it up right now, because I need to order some industrial grade tent pegs. The ones that came with the tent are just not sufficient for keeping a grip on this sandy Florida soil. I'll get the tent in good trim when those arrive and I'm pulling up pegs anyway.

The office move will probably be next weekend -- I'm awaiting rugs, I have a desk to assemble, etc.